Shehbaz Sharif arrested in money laundering case

Lahore: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team has arrested President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif in money laundering case.

According to details, NAB team arrested the PML-N leader when Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected his bail plea after detailed arguments from both sides. The anti-graft watchdog will present Opposition Leader before the court tomorrow and request physical remand of the accused.

Maryam Nawaz strongly condemned arrest of Shehbaz Sharif and said that PML-N President has been arrested only because he refused to play in the hands of those who wanted to use him against his brother.

She paid tribute to Opposition Leader and said Shehbaz Sharif preferred standing behind prison bars than to stand against his brother.

Reacting to the arrest, Marriyum Aurangzeb, spokesperson of PML-N, said that even today, corruption of even a single penny was not proved and arrests of opposition leaders is proof of PM Imran Khan’s ill intentions.

She said “Government has decided to rig upcoming local bodies election and for this reason PML-N President has been arrested by NAB-Niazi nexus. I want to say it clearly that NAB has arrested Shehbaz Sharif on directions of Imran Khan”.

Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the arrest of President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif and demanded his immediate release.

Bilawal Bhutto said that sending notices to opposition politicians and arresting them is proof of Imran Khan’s bewilderment by Pakistan Democratic Movement. Prime Minister Imran Khan is using NAB for political revenge, he added.

He said Imran Khan’s sister and special aides have serious allegations against them but NAB does not summon them. He added that targeting politicians cannot stop the path of public resistance nor the journey of the Pakistan Democratic Movement.

A two-member bench of the Lahore High Court comprising Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem and Justice Farooq Haider heard the plea, during which Shehbaz Sharif’s lawyer gave their arguments.

Counsel of PML-N President argued that Shehbaz Sharif saved over Rs1,000 billion of national exchequer and never received his pay as a member of National Assembly. No evidence is available against Shehbaz Sharif in money laundering case and none of the witnesses has accused PML-N leader of the ill practice, he added.

The local administration has also ensured stringent security arrangements to avoid any untoward incident.

Previously, LHC had extended interim bail of Shehbaz Sharif till September 28 in money laundering case and assets beyond means case.

On June 1, Shehbaz Sharif had filed a bail plea in LHC to avoid arrest in assets beyond means and money laundering cases. The opposition leader, in his plea, took the stance that NAB might arrest him in a pending inquiry.

The anti-corruption watchdog had prepared the case with malicious intentions as he has been declaring his assets regularly, Shehbaz stated.